We Thank You For This Christmas
by poohxebony
Summary: Takes place after the 'Final Act' series. Feeling homesick over her family in the past 3 years, Kagome and Inuyasha return to her time to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas at her old house.
1. Chapter 1: Homesick

A young boy and his mother continued running through the thick white forest, using every ounce of strength in their legs despite the cold snow. Neither of them dared to look back at the monstrosity chasing after them, as the increasing fear erupted in their hearts. The mother, almost out of breath, knew she had to keep fighting for the sake of her son. Though she did fear for her own life, her child's life was more of a priority than anything else. As their hands clenched tighter, the mother closed her eyes for a split second and prayed to gain the strength to save her little boy.

"We're almost there, Hiroki!", the mother shouted, pointing her finger at a nearby village through the trees. "I can see the village now! Once we reach there, we'll be safe and find shelter to hide!" The little boy peeked at the back of his shoulder to see the large warthog demon following close behind them.

The boy's eyes grew wide with fear. "Mama, the monster's close! He'll get us!", he cried.

"It'll be alright, just keep running! We're almost there!", the mother shouted back. Unexpectedly, the little boy tripped over a small rock and tumbled onto the ground. The mother immediately stopped on her track to help his son up, but saw an enormous shadow over clouding them. She looked up in terror, grabbing her son to get behind her.

The enormously obnoxious warthog demon smiled hungrily at the helpless humans, his claws sharpened and triggered to attack. He licked his mouth with his large greenish tongue, filled with a foul odor of saliva. The demon's beady yellowish eyes glared as he smiled down at them mockingly. "Hahahaha, two little piggies all alone for an afternoon lunch!", he growled, licking his lips more. "This day just keeps getting better!". His large hooves practically shook the ground as he took a few steps closer, frightening the little boy more while clenching to his mother's kimono.

The mother raised her arms to the side to shield him more. "P-please! Spare my dear son! You can have me, but please don't kill my son!", she said in a shaky voice.

The warthog demon laughed. "And what makes you think I'll get full by just a single mere woman? What's the point of having lunch without a little snack afterwards…and little kids always make the treat!". He raised his right clawed hand in the air and roared, ready to snatch one of the two. The mother knelt down to hug her son, both screaming while waiting for the final blow.

"Hey, Rotten-Cheese-Pork-Face, think it's about time you take a bath instead of worrying about lunch for a change?", a gruff voice said behind the warthog demon, interrupting his attack motive. He turned around, glaring harder while looking around in the trees.

"Grrrrrrr, who interrupts my meal!", he barked. "No one insults me! NO ONE!"

"Tsst. That's the problem. Guess a person can't know if he smells like a baby's dirty diaper if someone else don't be close enough to tell him", the voice echoed from different location between the trees. The warthog demon grew more furious, stepping away from the two humans and raising both fists.

"You! You'll pay for even thinking about taking a walk in the woods here! Come out and show yourself so I can break your bones, coward!".

"HIRAKOTSU!", a female voice shouted out of nowhere. Suddenly, a large boomerang hit the demon in the back of the head.

"Ow!", he said in surprise, stumbling forward. He turned back around while rubbing the back of his head, only to see the boomerang returning to the direction it came from in a blink of an eye. "Who did that?", he cried. "I said show yourself! I don't have time to play these hide-and-seek games!".

Then a swift and strong movement from a khakkhara staff swept across the demon's feet, making him fall to the ground with a loud tremble. The unexpected hero pulled the mother and her son away from the demon. "There, there now. Let's take you someplace else safer", the monk smiled. "Okay guys, I got them to safety!". As Miroku escorted the humans away, the warthog demon immediately got on his feet. His sharp nailed claws and fangs retracted longer, glaring at them venomously.

"You little insects! You're not going anywhere until I have my meal!", he roared. "And you're part of the menu, Monk!". Before he took a step further, a woman dressed in a black skin-tight slayer outfit jumped in front of him out of nowhere, crossing her arms. Her long brown hair put in a ponytail moved gently by the cold air as she glared at the monster.

"Oh yeah? Sorry, but I don't allow anyone eating my husband. Especially not garbage glutton pigs. Guess you'll have to change the menu", Sango lashed out.

The pig glared back at her, ready to charge. "Ha! Another mere woman into the meal! And a pretty one at that! I'll gobble the lot of ya with one swallow!". As soon as he raised his hand, a glowing purified arrow targeted his claws, bringing intense pain. The demon screeched and took the arrow out of his hand, immediately dropping as it stung by the purified object. "Wh-what the hell? A purifying arrow?". The warthog demon looked back at the direction where the arrow came from.

A young woman with long raven hair stood by herself in a further distance, staring back at the demon with calm chocolate brown eyes. She wore the ordinary priestess attire, having her hair loose and blowing by the wind. She raised her powerful bow and took out another arrow, aiming directly at the demon again.

The warthog snarled. "I had about enough of pests playing mind games with me! I'll come over there and rip you in two, you priestess witch!". Before he moved another muscle, two flying arrows pinned him to a nearby tree trunk, both arrows on each side of his kimono sleeve. The warthog laughed. "Hahaha! You think two little wooden arrows can hold me down? Not even two _hundred_ can do the job!". When trying to break free, a spark from the purifying arrows seized and paralyzed his movements. "Wh-what…?", he trailed.

"A binding spell to entrap my enemies from escaping by my will", Kagome stated matter-of-factly as she walked closer. "These aren't just your ordinary 'two wooden arrows' ".

The pig pierced his deadly eyes at Kagome, snarling louder. "Damn you, you wench!". He continued struggling until he felt the spell slowly breaking. His right arm shook with desperation while fighting the binding spell in order for his hand to slowly reach the arrows. He pulled both arrows off of him, ignoring the purifying pain. "The more pissed off I get, the more _hungrier_ I get!". As the demon charged at Kagome, a figure dressed in baggy red hakama pants and red fire rat coat appeared out of nowhere in front of Kagome. The warthog demon halted and stared back at Inuyasha confusedly. Inuyasha raised one of his fists at him.

"And the more people call my wife all kinds of names, the more _violent_ I get", he said dangerously.

The demon snorted and smirked. "Ah, what is this? So you're the one who called me stinky? Imagine a half-breed _mutt_ trying to tell someone to wash up when he can't even be house trained!", he spat out, throwing his large fist at Inuyasha. "Ha! Let's see if you can play DEAD!". Surprisingly, Inuyasha stopped the demon's fist with his own hand. The pig's eyes grew by surprise. "Huh?", he said.

Inuyasha clenched tighter at the demon's fist. "Heh. Don't let the mixed blood fool ya. I may be a half-breed, but I'm definitely one hell of a kind!". Inuyasha then lifted the enormous warthog with a swift of his hand, throwing him to the other side of the forest. The warthog demon ran into a further tree, sliding to the ground. He looked up at Inuyasha in disbelief.

"Impossible!", he cried. "No one can overpower a great and strong warthog like me!". Having enough of his rants, Inuyasha pulled out his Tetsuaiga from the sheath. It automatically transformed into a wider and powerful blade, having the soft fur attached at the top of the hilt.

"I say it's time to turn this pig into ground-pork", he smirked, raising the Tetsuaiga as the growing power formed around the blade. "WIND SCAR!", he shouted, swinging down the sword and launching it directly at the warthog demon. With the final struck, the warthog demon screamed in echoing agony, eventually obliterated from the Wind Scar's destructive power. "Huh. Loser", Inuyasha snorted while drawing his sword back into his sheath and crossed his arms. "Well, that makes about seven demons in one day. I swear, these bastards just keep gettin' cocky by the minute".

Kagome walked up to him and put her bow and arrow down, smiling. "Don't they all?", she said. "No matter how many we face, they'll always have their reasons to kill us".

"As always, Kagome makes another good valid point", Miroku said while he and Sango walked up to them. "Though of course we can't help but tease their hatred towards us every now and then".

Sango looked up at the sky, seeing how it had darkended. "Well, I don't know about you guys, but maybe we should head back home for dinner? We had enough extermination for one day. Besides, we don't want to stay out too long for Rin and Shippo to deal with the kids", she said.

Kagome nodded. "You're right. The sooner we get home, the sooner we can start cooking". As the gang walked out of the forest and headed toward the nearby village, Inuyasha gently nudged Kagome.

"So…binding spell arrows?", he asked. "Since when did you learn that?".

Kagome smiled and shrugged. "Don't forget, I still have Kaede as the best teacher in the world. Not to mention I'm studying like crazy every day. Though I could use some more work on this. The warthog shouldn't have broken free so soon".

Inuyasha shrugged. "Eh, don't give yourself a hard time. It still did something to hold him down, so it's not like your powers ain't gettin' any better".

Kagome looked at Inuyasha. "You think my powers are getting stronger? I really hope so…". She then looked at the sky once a single snow flake came down in front of her face. More snow continued falling gently from the evening sky. As everyone walked down the hill to their village, a sudden thought crossed Kagome's mind. _'__I __wonder __if __it__'__s__ also __snowing__ back__ at __home__ too__…'_

* * *

><p>"We're home!", Kagome cried as soon as she first entered Kaede's hut.<p>

"Aww Kagome, glad to see you all came back in one piece", Kaede said and smiled, pouring water into the black hot pot. Rin and Shippo turned around and waved.

"Hey guys, you're back!" Rin smiled.

"Yeah, and about time too!", Shippo said. "Now we don't have to worry about finding you in order for you to come home and make us dinner!".

Kagome laughed. "So, is that the only reason you were worried about us?", she teased back. Then two 6 six year twin girls ran up to her.

"Hi Kagome! We missed you!", Aika and Aiko said in unison, giving her a hug. A 3 year old boy walked up to Kagome and tugged her hakama pant sleeve.

"Kagome!", Hajime said smiling.

Kagome picked up Hajime and kissed his cheek. "Hi Hajime! You've been good for Lady Kaede, Rin, and Shippo?" Hajime nodded proudly. The three children then saw Miroku and Sango enter the house and ran up to them.

"Hi Mommy and Daddy!", Aika said. "We've been very good for Rin, Shippo, and Lady Kaede! We even helped Kaede picked out vegetables for dinner tonight!"

"Yeah, can we eat now? We're starving!", Aiko pleaded.

"I help too!", Hajime added.

Sango kissed all three of her kids' foreheads. "Settle down you three. Kagome will get the food started very soon".

Kagome smiled again as she placed her bow and arrow against the wall. "Well, guess I'll get started now. No need for the poor kids to wait any longer. Besides, I'm getting hungry myself". Inuyasha then barged in, crossing his arms.

"Geez, you guys act as if you haven't eaten in ten years", he grumbled. Shippo stuck his tongue out at him.

"Ha, you're one to talk, since you can act like you haven't seen ramen noodles in 700 years sometimes!", he teased. Inuyasha raised his balled fist and slam it on top of Shippo's head, making a enormous bump.

"Waaaahhh! Kagome! Inuyasha's being a mean fart again!", Shippo yelled.

Aiko and Aika both shook their fingers at Inuyasha. "That's not nice, Doggy Man!", Aiko said. Hajime smiled at Inuyasha.

"Doggie Man!", he repeated. Sango and Miroku chuckled. Kagome turned and looked at Inuyasha, raising an eyebrow.

"Inuyasha….", she trailed. Inuyasha flinched for a split second, hoping Kagome wouldn't say the infamous word. "Let's try to have a descent family dinner without the violence?", she asked. Inuyasha crossed his arms and snorted.

"Teh. Fine, whatever. I'm going outside and get some fresh air. Let me know when dinner is ready".

"We want to go outside too!", Aika said, her and Aiko running up to Inuyasha. "Let us ride on your piggy back and make us fly Doggie Man!".

"Yeah, flying!", Aiko and Hajime said.

Inuyasha groaned. "Uggghhh….didn't ya guys went outside and play earlier already?", he complained.

"Outside! Outside! Outside!", all three children shouted, not giving Inuyasha the opportunity to oppose otherwise.

Sango giggled. "Taking them outside for another piggy back ride wouldn't hurt Inuyasha. Besides, it'll give Rin, Shippo, and Kaede a break since they've watched them all day. They can help us with the cooking". Inuyasha glared at Sango then looked back at the kids, seeing their 'innocent puppy-eye looks'. He signed and mumbled underneath his breath.

"Ugghh, fine, whatever. Alright you three, we're gonna make this short. And don't expect me doing this every single night!", he remarked.

"Yay!", the kids shouted.

When Inuyasha and the kids went outside, Miroku and Shippo followed behind them. "We'll still keep an eye on him, just in case he tries strangling them when they drive him crazy", Miroku winked at Sango as she nodded.

Sango then turned to the rest. "Well, it's just us girls now. Amazing how peaceful it is now that they're gone, huh?".

The other girls chuckled. "Well, let's get started, shall we? We don't want those guys crying for dinner any longer than they already have", Kagome said, washing her hands in the bucket of water.

* * *

><p>After dinner, Miroku, Sango, and the kids bid their farewells and headed back to their own home. Heading out as well, Inuyasha and Kagome waved goodbye to Kaede, Rin, and Shippo. While the two walked outside, Inuyasha noticed Kagome's quiet behavior. "Hey Kagome, what's wrong?", he asked. "You started acting kinda withdrawn since dinner was served".<p>

Kagome looked up at Inuyasha. "Hmm? Oh, sorry, it's nothing. It's just….I've been having some things in my mind lately".

"About what?"

"Well…Kinda about my family back at home". Inuyasha looked at Kagome's somewhat solemn expression by the mention of her family. Her eyes slowly grew a bit sad. "It's just that, I've been wondering how they've been holding up during these past three years since we got back together", she continued. "Don't get me wrong, I love being here and married to you, and spending all the holidays with everyone. But I still hope if things are okay for them during the holidays…even without me. I guess what I'm saying is….I miss spending the holidays with Mom, Grandpa, and Sota. I know I missed another Thanksgiving with them".

Inuyasha looked down at the ground in deep thought. He knew that after living in the feudal era for 3 years as his wife, Kagome would miss her family, especially around the time of the year. Christmas time was approaching. Honestly, he missed the Higurashi family too. He wondered how Kagome's mother and grandfather were doing, and if her brother Sota had gotten any taller.

And he also knew and respected the fact that no matter how blessed Kagome felt when reuniting with Inuyasha three years ago, a part of her will always love and remember her home. After all, it was natural emotions, especially since she made the decision to stay in his time by his side. They both knew that Kagome could have stayed in her own world, living the life of a normal twenty-one year old young woman by now. Instead, she sacrificed her normal life to be by his side, like she had done endless times in the past. That thought always made Inuyasha uneasy.

After thinking for a few minutes, Inuyasha smirked. "Why don't we pay them a visit then? It's not like the well don't work anymore to go back".

Kagome stared at Inuyasha, surprised. "You really mean it?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "Eh, why not? Besides, I wanna see if that annoying little turd of a brother of yours has grown into a real man, or if that stupid fat cat of yours is still alive. Not to mention eating your mom's best ramen noodles".

Kagome's eyes slowly twinkled with delight, surprised yet happy that Inuyasha took the effort in wanting to see the family again. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. "Thanks Inuyasha! You have no idea how this make me feel! Guess we'll tell the gang tomorrow morning that we're gonna see my family for the holidays, and then leave in the afternoon?"

"Sure, whatever. When you're ready to leave is fine with me", Inuyasha stated.

Kagome giggled and playfully pulled one of his furry white ears. "Alrighty then, let's get home. I'm gonna need the rest since tomorrow will be a busy day!"

"Geez, it's just seeing your family again. It ain't like you're going to see the Emperor or anything", Inuyasha rolled his eyes, but grinned. He was truthfully happy to see Kagome's spirits lifted. As they continued walking into the forest where their faraway home was located, Kagome mentally smiled from ear to ear over her plans for Christmas. Besides gift shopping, Kagome had something else in store for Inuyasha. _'__I __can__'__t __wait __to __see__ the__ look __on __his __face__…'__,_she thought, smiling more.


	2. Chapter 2: Welcome Back

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** So sorry for the late delay on this chapter, since I've been so busy over my birthday and the holidays. I wanted to finish this in time for Christmas on Sunday, but oh well. Anyway, consider this as a late gift from me to you. Please enjoy and review.

Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year everybody! ^.^

* * *

><p>The next morning, Inuyasha and Kagome walked to Sango and Miroku's house. "I hope Shippo and the rest of the kids won't be too disappointed of me not being here for Christmas", Kagome said. "The twins and Hajime grown so attached to me for this long, I would hate to see the look on their faces".<p>

"Ehh, don't worry about it", Inuyasha shrugged. "It's not like they'll be all alone for Christmas. I'm sure Kaede will help Miroku and Sango entertain the kids somehow. Besides, don't feel guilty about wanting to see your own family, which you haven't seen in a while".

Kagome looked at Inuyasha, grinning gently. "You're right. Now that Shippo and Rin are a little older and more mature, they'll understand". When they reached Miroku and Sango's house, everyone sat in the main room. The kids and Shippo were playing a game of tag outside. "Guys, I want to tell you something", Kagome started off. "I know that Christmas is around the corner, and as much as I've always enjoyed spending the holidays with you all…I've kinda been feeling homesick lately. I miss my family".

Before Kagome could continue, Miroku raised his hand and nodded, smiling. "No need to explain any further, Kagome. We know that there'll always be a special spot in your heart for your old home. It's completely understandable that you miss your family".

"Miroku's right", Sango said. "It would be good of you to go back in your time and see how your family's doing. Especially your grandfather, since he's getting older. Kagome, it's okay if you want to celebrate Christmas with your family this year. I think it will definitely brighten your holiday spirit more".

Kagome smiled wider, hugging both of them for their understanding. "Thanks so much you guys", she said. "Actually, this was all Inuyasha's idea about paying my family a visit".

Miroku raised an eyebrow. "Really? Ha, that's a surprise. The Inuyasha we knew in the old days would whine and wag his tail like a little puppy whenever you left. What's with the change of heart?", he teased.

Inuyasha folded his arms and snorted. "Hmph. Whatever, monk. In case you've forgotten, I no longer have any reason to stay behind and wait for her to come back, since she's my wife now".

"Not to mention no more worrying over exams and stuff", Kagome added. "God, I'm so glad those high school days are over. I would've been in college if I didn't come back here, and college exams are even worse".

"College?", Sango asked.

"College is like the next level of education after high school for young adults, in order to be promoted for more important careers", Kagome explained. "I would've taken Nursing or Early Childhood Education as a teacher".

"Either way, both of those terms suit you perfectly. You're already great with kids", Sango commented and smiled.

Kagome smiled back. "Thanks. But at any rate, I still don't regret living here. I just want to see if things have changed in my world and see how Grandpa's doing. Like you said, he is getting older and I hope his health is doing okay. I also want to see how Sota's doing. I think he should be almost be reaching high school now".

"When will you be leaving?", Miroku asked.

"We thought about packing up and leaving as soon as we told you guys. We might return the day after Christmas or something", Kagome answered. "But I was telling Inuyasha on how I felt about disappointing the kids since we won't be here for Christmas".

"Well, don't you worry about that. The kids will be fine with us here", Sango said and hugged Kagome again. "In the meantime, you worry about having fun with your family. And tell them that we wish them a Merry Christmas".

Miroku nodded, then turned to Inuyasha. "Inuyasha, please try not to be a scrooge on Christmas Day".

Inuyasha glared at Miroku. "What the hell makes you think I'm gonna be a scrooge?", he snapped. "At least I've never been and never will be some kind of shameless womanizing pervert, like you!"

"Aww, but you can't entitle me as such no more", Miroku said, wrapping his arm around Sango. "For I am truly a changed man, thanks to my beautiful and strong wife you see by my side".

"Yeah, except you still slip up a few times", Sango added, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms. "Like a few days ago when we went to market to pick a few vegetables, and you happened to give two other girls the 'holiday spirit' wave? Don't think I don't know".

Miroku chuckled nervously. "My dear Sango, I was just being friendly. Tis the season, after all".

"Don't test me, Monk", Sango replied, raising a crossed eyebrow.

Kagome chuckled and waved as she and Inuyasha headed out the door. "Well, we're going to say bye to the kids and head out. I promise to come back with all kinds of great gifts for everyone!", she said. The excitement and nervousness over seeing the family made Kagome feel more intense.

Inuyasha and Kagome returned home and packed a few things that they wanted to show the Higurashi family. "Well, that settles it. You know, besides missing Mom, Sota, and Grandpa, I also missed my best friends from high school. You remember Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi, right?", she asked.

Inuyasha shrugged. "A little. You mean those three girls who tried hooking you up with that one guy loser?"

"Yeah…you mean Hojo. And that's not really nice to call him that, even though it's no big deal to me since we're married and he's moved on to someone else. Though I wonder what he's been up to…"

"Hmph. Whatever he's up to, maybe he's dating one of your girl friends for all I care. You set to go?"

"Yeah. Let's do this", Kagome replied as she picked up her travel bag and followed Inuyasha heading out the door. She took one final look at her little home and closed the hut door.

Once they finally reached the bone eater's well in the forest, Kagome looked at the large tree next to the well, smiling. "Brings back memories a little, does it? We haven't been around this area in three years, and now we get to travel through time again like in the old days", she said.

"Yeah. Before you came back, I used to come here every night, looking at the tree and then at the well. Guess it was my way of coping when you were gone, hoping you'd pop out of the well at any minute", Inuyasha said with a slight thoughtful expression. Kagome looked at Inuyasha and gently smiled, not knowing how hard it was for him dealing with their separation.

"I too looked at the Sacred Tree from time to time", she added. "Well, let's go. No point in making myself wait any longer". Inuyasha took her hand and climbed up on the bone eaters well.

"You ready?", he asked Kagome while looking back at his shoulder, seeing her smile and nod. Clenching their hands tighter, Inuyasha and Kagome took a swift leap into the well, teleporting back into the modern Tokyo.

* * *

><p>Inuyasha came out of the well first, then bended down to help Kagome out. She looked around the room of the small shrine temple. "Wow…everything still looks the same", she said. "I wonder if Mom or Grandpa rarely came in here".<p>

"Looks like they haven't put any new stuff to store in here either", Inuyasha added. "Come on, let's go and head for the house".

As they opened the shrine doors, Kagome's eyes grew a little wide by the sight that was in front of them. Soft, beautiful snow fell slowly from the cloudy sky, bringing a more wintry background for the shrine and home. The ground was covered with soft snow for them to walk in, despite Kagome wearing socks and wooden sandals. The leafless branches on the trees still looked crystal-like by the frozen ice cycles covering them. All but one particular tree stood tall with all of its leaves. Kagome set her eyes at the Sacred Tree, taking a step closer while examining its appearance. Though it looked the same from the last time she saw it, the falling snow made the tree looked more spiritual and beautiful.

"Wow…it really is snowing at the other side of this world", Kagome smiled. "I remember how snow used to make things more beautiful around this time of year since I was little. Things haven't changed a bit. Come on, Inuyasha!", Kagome cried, jogging towards the steps that led to the Higurashi house. After taking his eyes off of the Sacred Tree for a few minutes, Inuyasha followed behind Kagome as she jogged upstairs. The anticipation of seeing her family's faces grew more.

When she finally reached the top of the steps, she took a good look at her old house. The outside of the house still looked the same, as well as the way how her family decorated the Christmas lights. Smiling, Kagome walked toward the front door. "Well, here it goes…", she mumbled to herself. After three knocks, the door eventually opened by a pleasant and surprised Mrs. Higurashi.

Mrs. Higurashi looked very well, only three years older and her dark hair grew by a few inches, which came down to her neck. "Ka-Kagome? Is that really you? Oh my goodness!", she cried.

"Mom!", Kagome cried as the two embraced in a tight hug. "Oh Mom, I missed you so much!"

"We all missed you too! Let me take a look at you", Mrs. Higurashi said as she broke the hug. She examined Kagome's features from head to toe, still smiling widely. "Oh my Kagome, you've grown up to become such a beautiful young woman. Your hair has grown longer too".

Kagome smiled. "You look good yourself Mom. I'm glad to see that some things around here is still the same". Mrs. Higurashi chuckled, then looked around behind Kagome.

"Wait a minute…where's Inuyasha?", she asked. Wondering the same thing, Kagome turned around to find Inuyasha slowly coming up the stairs behind her. Inuyasha grinned a little and nodded.

"Yo", he said.

Mrs. Higurashi stepped outside and hugged Inuyasha. "Inuyasha, it's good to see you too. Thank you so much for taking care of Kagome over these years".

Inuyasha smirked as they all walked back in the house from the cold. "Yeah, well, you know. Besides, we're married now", he replied.

"You guys are now married? Oh my, congratulations!", Mrs. Higurashi cheered. "I'm so happy for you two, for you've been through so much together. I just wish that we could have been there for the ceremony…".

Kagome placed a hand on her mother's shoulder. "It's okay, Mom. I'm just glad that we're able to come and visit you now".

"What made you decide to come back?"

Kagome's expression slowly turned into slight guilt. "Well, I….for the past few days, I've been feeling kind of homesick. I know I missed out on a lot of things with you guys over these past three years. Because of that, I've been feeling guilty. I'm sorry for making you guys miss me over the holidays, and making you spend it without me. I know I missed another year of a good Thanksgiving with everyone". Kagome's eyes slowly began to swell with tears when Mrs. Higurashi embraced her with another hug, patting her head.

"It's okay, dear. It's okay. Like I told you before, go to the place where your heart knows you'll be happy. We're not angry at you for making that decision. Besides, if you didn't, you and Inuyasha wouldn't be where you are now, united as one. And no matter how long you're away, we'll always save a special place for you here, Kagome", she said gently.

Kagome smiled again as she wiped a tear from her eye. "Thanks Mom. Anyway, how is everyone? How's Sota? Where is he?"

"Your brother's fine. He went out to the mall with his girlfriend shopping for Christmas gifts. He should be back soon".

"You mean the little runt has a woman now?", Inuyasha asked. "Heh, guess he finally out grew that timid quiet boy stage for a change".

Mrs. Higurashi giggled. "Well, he's 15 after all. Not only is he in the ninth grade now, he's also quite the ladies' man. But he's doing really well in school with his grades and all".

"Wow, I was right. I can't believe my little bro's in high school now", Kagome said. "Wonder if he has the same teachers I had. And how's Grandpa?"

"Your grandfather is also doing fine. He's now eighty years old, but still young at heart sometimes. But he's recently been sick with a fever. We had to take him to the hospital the other day".

"Oh no, Grandpa…", Kagome trailed, looking worried. "Is he still in there? I want to visit him".

"No. He was only there for one night, but was able to come home the next day because of the fever going down. We're doing everything we can to help him, plus this nurse will come by tomorrow to check on his heart rate, blood pressure, and diabetes until this fever is gone. He's upstairs in his room", Mrs. Higurashi explained.

"Oh. Well, that's good. Can we still go see him?"

"I'm sure he'll definitely want to see his only granddaughter and new grandson-in-law back again", Mrs. Higurashi smiled. "But you can't be in there too long. He needs his rest". Kagome nodded as she looked around the house some more before going upstairs. The main living room still looked the same, with the original furniture arranged in the same position. Even the Christmas decorations were arranged the same way as she remembered it since she was little. The only thing that appeared new was the family's large Toshiba flat screen television, along with the small black TV stand. The shiny black TV appeared to be forty-two inches long, with the screen in high quality.

Kagome continued looking around her surrounds as she, Inuyasha, and Mrs. Higurashi headed upstairs. She noticed the same photo frames hung up at the wall as she passed by, some of them from her and Sota's childhood days while one of them were a picture of her entire family, including her father. A part of Kagome was relieved most things remained the way they were. It only made things easier for her to remember the life she originally came from.

"Here we are", Mrs. Higurashi said as soon as all three reached Kagome's grandfather's door. "You two go ahead while I go back downstairs and make some tea for him".

"Thanks Mom", Kagome replied as she slowly opened the door. She saw her grandfather tucked in tightly underneath the covers in his futon bed, his eyes still closed and breathing regularly. Next to him on the other side of the bed laid a small bucket and a wash cloth to wash the sweat off his forehead from the fever. Kagome and Inuyasha quietly walked in the room. She kneeled down next to him.

"Wonder if the old man is still asleep", Inuyasha wondered, his hands still folded in his kimono sleeves.

"I don't know. A part of me thinks we should leave and come back later, but I miss seeing him so much to wait", Kagome said as she lower her head towards him. "Grandpa…", she said softly but loud enough for him to hear her. Grandpa Higurashi slowly opened his elderly eyes, blinking a few times to adjust. He slowly turned his head to the side to Kagome's smiling face. "Hi Grandpa", she whispered.

Grandpa Higurashi blinked a few more times. "Kagome? Is that you?", he rasped.

Kagome smiled and nodded. "Yes Grandpa. I'm back for Christmas".

Noticing Grandpa Higurashi struggling to sit himself up from the bed, Kagome immediately helped him. He then took a better look at her and smiled. "Oh Kagome…", he said while reaching his arms out for a hug. "My dear granddaughter is back to see us. I never thought you would be able to come back".

"I'm here, Grandpa. I'm sorry for being away for so long. A lot has happened while living back in the feudal era. Inuyasha and I are now married".

"Inuyasha?", Grandpa Higurashi asked. "You're still with that crazy young buffoon?"

"Hey, I resent that!", Inuyasha snapped behind Kagome, eyebrows twitching from annoyance.

Grandpa Higurashi looked up at Inuyasha glaring at him for the insulting remark. "Oh, there you are laddie! You made it here too", he stated.

"Hey old man", Inuyasha grumbled. "Of course I made it here too. Kagome started missin' everyone, so I thought it was cool if we came back".

"We came back to celebrate Christmas and New Years Eve with you guys", Kagome explained. "And Mom told us you've been sick. I'm just happy that your fever isn't as worse".

"Well, you know me, Kagome. Although I am old, my fighting spirit is what keeps me striving to see another day. I'm just glad to see my granddaughter back. You've grown so much, Kagome". Grandpa Higurashi cupped Kagome's cheek and rubbed it gently. He suddenly began coughing.

Kagome gently laid him back down in his bed and pulled the covers up to his chin. "Grandpa, please rest. Mom's making tea for you right now, so she'll be up in a minute to take care of you. We'll stop by later and catch up with things".

"Alright then, Kagome. Again, I'm glad to see you two back", Grandpa Higurashi weakly smiled before closing his eyes. His breathing became heavier from the constant cough. Frowning a little, Kagome stood up and headed out the door with Inuyasha

"I hope Grandpa will be alright", she said worrying after closing the door behind her.

"He'll be fine. Like he just said, he's a fighter. You of all people should know that", Inuyasha replied.

Kagome looked up at Inuyasha and eventually nodded. "You're right…Grandpa will be okay. I just hope he feels better in time before Christmas this weekend. Well, it's about time I head over to my old bedroom". Inuyasha and Kagome walked to the end of the little hallway. As she opened the door, she slowly grinned to herself. Her old bedroom remained the same way she last saw it, well cleaned and neat. All of her furniture and antiques remained in good condition, possibly from her mother only coming in the room to vacuum and dust. Kagome sat on her bed and lay back with her arms stretched out, smiling.

"Man, it feels good to see my old room again. Thank goodness Mom took good care in here, especially keeping Sota away from coming in here and trying to see if he can find any of my diaries", she giggled.

"So, what do you plan on doing today?", Inuyasha asked.

"Well, I just want to relax. I'm looking forward to dinner with everyone. Tomorrow I'll try to get in touch with Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi and see if we can meet up somewhere. Hopefully they have the same cell number". Kagome then got up and walked to her closet to see what to wear. She felt good putting on modern clothing again. She opened the closet door and looked at the clothes she left three years ago. She picked up a pair of blue jeans and a soft pink long-sleeve sweater. "I doubt I outgrown some of these clothes yet", Kagome said to herself. "At least….I hope I can still fit in them".

"Well while you're getting dressed, I'm gonna head downstairs and see what your mother's up to", Inuyasha said, walking out the door. "I'm a little hungry for some ramen noodles anyway".

"Ha, you would be", Kagome teased, rolling her eyes. "I'll be right there once I'm done changing". After Inuyasha closed the door, Kagome began unfastening her kimono outfit. She then put on her pink sweater and looked at her hair from the closet mirror, deciding it needed a nice brush. She walked over and picked up the brush on top of her drawer set, brushing and smoothing out her raven locks. Next, she picked up her jeans off her bed and started putting them on. Once she pulled up her jeans and started to zip, it halted midway on the zipper line.

Kagome looked down, aggravated. "Aww, you gotta be kidding me", she complained, tugging the zipper to fasten higher. "These used to be my favorite jeans! Don't tell me three little years really made me gain some weight!". Kagome continued working on the small zipper carefully and trying not to break the zipper line.

Not focusing on the footsteps approaching nearby, Kagome was immediately started once Inuyasha opened the door unexpectedly, which caught him off guard while spotting Kagome struggling with her pants. Both of their faces grew red as they stared at each other in silence. Seconds later, Inuyasha came to his senses to lower his head the other way and cleared his throat.

But at the same time, catching sight of Kagome in such a private time was nothing new to him, especially since they were now married. It was also vice versa for Kagome. After all, the two shared several 'intimate nights' together. In fact, seeing a part of Kagome's underwear from the opening of her jeans became…..quite arousing to him.

Inuyasha immediately shook his head again from his lustful thoughts. This wasn't the time or place for their little foreplay. "Um, sorry", he grumbled as he walked in and closed the door. "I thought it would be okay to come back since your mother wasn't doing anything in particular. She already gave your grandpa the tea".

"Oh, um, that's okay. Thanks", Kagome giggled nervously, her face still pink from the her bashfulness. "Um, I think I'm better off with something else other than these jeans. I can't get the zipper to come up". Inuyasha's amber eyes slowly shifted to the opening area of Kagome's pants, then immediately shifted back the other direction, his cheeks still pink. A part of him wanted to go and give Kagome a 'hand' with her zipper. But again, he knew it wasn't the right place or time for any 'fun ideas'.

"Why not try something else, like one of your skirts?", he asked.

Kagome looked back at her closet and picked out a blue jean skirt that appeared wider by the waist. "Maybe you got a point", she agreed. "Guess this means you want to stay here and see how well it fits me?". Kagome raised an eyebrow and smirked.

Inuyasha smirked back and scratched the back of his head. "I'm not sure if it's a good idea getting' caught in our little teasing game like this. You do realize we're not in our own home, ya know".

Kagome chuckled and walked over to Inuyasha, wrapping his arms around his neck and kissed him. "Let's just say I'm lucky to have a door that closes and locks". Kagome grinned naughtily as she locked the doorknob behind Inuyasha and lured him to her bed, having him on top of her as they lay back. Inuyasha's hands slowly went down to pull down her pants, exposing the sight of her underwear completely.

"Heh. Can't say I didn't warn ya", he smirked as he leaned in for a deeper kiss. Suddenly a loud knock erupted on Kagome's door, causing both of them to flinch and jump. "See what I mean", Inuyasha mumbled.

"Eep! In a minute!", Kagome shouted at the door. After frantically putting on the blue jean skirt, she walked over to the door. "Surely it can't be—".

"Hey Sis!", Sota shouted as soon as Kagome opened the door. His slightly muscular arms immediately wrapped around her waist for a warm hug. "Long time, no see!".

"Sota!", Kagome cheered, embracing the hug more. "Oh bro, it's good to see you again!" She broke the hug and took a better look at him. Although it was to be expected, she still couldn't believe how much he changed either. Sota was now taller than she was. She wondered if he was the tallest ninth grader in his class. His face no longer showed the bubbly face of a ten year old boy she once knew, but the maturity of a young man with his moustache on his upper lip and strong jawbones. Even his dark brown eyes showed his aging maturity. His hair was now short and spiky.

But what amazed Kagome more was Sota's body structure, which was that of a professional high school football or athlete player. Although he wore a long-sleeve shirt, the toned, muscular forms of his arms were noticeable through the sleeves, as well as his toned abs. Kagome took another look at him in the face, smiling. Even his newly deep voice told her how much he was becoming a man. Inuyasha also took a good look at Sota, amused at his physical transformation.

"Wow, Sota…you look…different", Kagome commented.

Sota chuckled. "And you look different….by being shorter than me now", he teased. Kagome playfully punched his arm gently, giggling. "Don't get it twisted; you may be taller than me, but _I'm_ still the big sister here. Meaning I can still kick your butt anytime, anywhere".

"Fine, fine, whatever", Sota smirked, raising both hands to ease out. He finally noticed Inuyasha behind Kagome and smiled widely. "Yo! Inuyasha! Dude, it's good to see ya, man!", Sota cheered as he walked in and raised his hand for a high-five. Inuyasha smirked and clasped his hands with Sota's. "How's it been? I heard you two finally got hitched. It's about damn time too!"

"Heh. Looks like Junior has finally grown up. I take it you're now showing the little boys how to grow guts like a real man?", Inuyasha commented.

Sota shrugged. "Eh, you know. Just focusing on my studies since I'm really thinking about playing professional soccer while in college. Plus, I'm spending time with my sweetheart, Rena. We've been dating for a year now".

"Aww, how cute", Kagome smiled. "Mom was telling us how you're the ladies' man in the bunch. You must have all the other chicks drooling over ya, huh?"

"Yeah, but Rena is special. She and I have so much in common, I feel more complete with her than anyone else right now. I'll be happy for y'all to meet her. Oh man Kagome, it's good to see you guys again. We thought you would never be able to come back from the well. How long are you staying?"

"We came here for the holidays", Kagome answered. "We're going to stay here until after New Year Day".

"Great! Yeah, we missed ya too. But I've been taking care of Mom and Grandpa since you left. Things around here are still the same, and I even seen most of your high school friends from time to time".

"You mean Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi? There're still around here?", Kagome asked.

"Yeah, they sometimes come over to visit and check on us. We just told them that you decided to move away to college at another city. Inuyasha, have you met Kagome's friends before?"

"Yeah, I remember those annoying girls. They even once forced me to put on a bandana rag on my head", Inuyasha grunted.

"Oh, that's great! I really hope they have their same cell number, though I kinda doubt it since it's been three years", Kagome stated. "I wonder if there's a way to reach at least one of them".

"Well, I know Yuka works at the Benihana restaurant downtown", Sota replied. "She's been working there for almost a year now".

"Oh good! I'm gonna make a trip over there tomorrow and see her. I miss my friends so much. I just hope neither of them hates me for leaving without saying goodbye all this time".

"Kagome! Inuyasha! Sota! I'm going to start making dinner!", Mrs. Higurashi called from downstairs. "We're having shrimp with mixed vegetables and ramen noodles!"

"Yeah, that's what I'm talking about", Inuyasha grinned.

"Okay Mom!", Kagome shouted back. She then took Sota's arm and headed out the door. "Come on. Let's go hang out in the living room. We got some catching up to do", she said. Sota grinned and nodded as all three headed back downstairs.


End file.
